1
Q
Population of France before 1789
A
- 27 million people
- 80% were peasants, mostly living in rural areas
- Significant regional differences:
Varied legal systems across provinces
Different taxation systems in each region
Regional customs barriers impeded free trade
2
Q
who where the Third Estate:
A
Lower and Middle Classes
- Comprised the vast majority of the population
- Poorly developed agriculture:
- Led to food shortages
- Bread constituted 75% of working-class diet
- Poor harvests often resulted in urban unrest and riots
- Unfair system of taxation:
- Taxed by government, landlords, and Church
- Working classes taxed more heavily than middle class
- Aristocracy remained untaxed
- Growing middle class:
- Owned 20% of French land by 1780
- Involved in commerce, industry, law, and medicine
- Lacked political power and social mobility
- Middle-class positions often bought or passed down, limiting meritocracy
2
Q
what did they advocate for Montesquieu:
A
- Criticized despotism and autocratic power
- Advocated for a system of checks and balances (constitutional monarchy)
- Promoted the rule of law and equality before the law
*
2
Q
who where the Second Estate:
A
- About 300,000 members, less than 2% of the population
- Owned 30% of land and held most of the nation’s wealth
- Exempt from taxes and conscription
- Held majority of key positions in:
- Royal court
- Government
- Judiciary
- Military
- Generally hostile to industrialization and commerce, hindering economic progress
- Strong internal divisions made governing difficult
3
Q
who where the First Estate
A
*clergy
Over 130,000 members of Roman Catholic Church (RCC)
- Owned 10% of land in France
- Paid no taxes to the government
- Controlled education, publications, and had significant influence in French life
- Senior positions dominated by aristocracy:
- Often inexperienced and unmotivated clergy in high positions
- Devout, ordinary clergymen had limited opportunities for advancement
- Contributed to social inequality and resentment among lower clergy
3
Q
what did they advocate for Voltaire:
A
- Criticized Church influence and wealth
- Attacked religious intolerance
- Critiqued the French legal system
4
Q
what did they advocate for Diderot:
A
- Authored encyclopedia on ‘Sciences, Arts, and Crafts’
- Aimed to advance knowledge and critical thinking
- Advocated for independent thinking and questioning attitude
5
Q
what did they advocate for Rousseau:
A
- Argued for improved education
- Wrote extensively about power and liberty
- Proposed ideas balancing authority and freedom in society
6
Q
what did they advocate for Quesnay:
A
- Focused on economics
- Argued against constraints on production and movement of goods (Laissez-faire)
6
Q
who was Louis XVI
A
- Crowned in 1775
- Inherited an absolute monarchy
- Lacked public confidence as a ruler
- His Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette, was widely disliked
7
Q
ancien regime Parlements
A
- 13 judicial courts of appeal, Paris parlement most powerful
- Could delay or veto laws made by the king
- Comprised of nobility, often aligned with king’s interests
- Not elected or truly representative bodies
8
Q
what was the Assembly of Notables:
A
- Group of noblemen and senior Church members
- Only consultative, no real authority
- Role was often unclear
9
Q
what was the Estates General:
A
- National law-making and representative body
- Rarely summoned by recent monarchs who saw it as a threat to power
10
Q
what where the ecenomic challanges
A
- Poor agricultural development:
- Underdeveloped compared to Britain
- Frequent poor harvests led to widespread unrest
- Loss of overseas empire:
- Defeated by Britain in the Seven Years’ War (1763)
- Lost significant colonies, including Canada
- Resulted in loss of prestige and economic opportunities
- American Revolution involvement (1778-1783):
- Allied with American colonists to regain colonies from Britain
- Resulted in significant debt with no tangible gains
- Dutch civil war (1788):
- King refused involvement due to lack of funds
- Highlighted France’s weakened financial and political position
11
Q
A-R-J Turgot (1774-1776):
A
- Admirer of physiocrat Quesnay
- Warned against wars, predicting bankruptcy
- Advocated for economic reforms
- Predictions of war leading to lack of reforms and bankruptcy proved accurate
12
Q
- Jacques Necker (1777-1781,august 1788):
A
- Swiss, middle-class banker, disliked by the court
- Promised financial reforms but delivered none
- Funded war with Britain through high-interest borrowing
- Published misleading account of royal finances in 1781, hiding true cost of war
13
Q
- Charles de Calonne (1783-1787):
A
- Initially borrowed to keep government running
- Proposed series of reforms in 1786, including:
- Reforming taxation by increasing taxes on the wealthy
- Stimulating economy, commerce, and industry
- Creating confidence to lower interest rates
- Dismissed after failing to gain support from Assembly of Notables
14
Q
- Etienne Brienne (1787-1788):
A
- Hired as president of Assembly of Notables
- Lacked support from the king
- Attempted to raise money through increased taxes and borrowing
- Failed to gain support from Paris parlement
- Struggled to implement reforms and stabilize finances
15
Q
What did necker do in may 1789
A
16
Q
A
17
Q
A
18
Q
A
History As history
flashcards
Decks in class (4)
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